Improvement in machines for sowing seed broadcast



E. STIMSON.

BroadCast-Seeder Patented May 6, 1856.

N-PETERS, FMOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ENOS STIMSON, OF NORTH CRAFTSBURY, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR SOWING SEED BROADCAST.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 14,837, dated May 6, 1856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, ENos SrIMsoN, of North Graftsbury, in the county of Orleans and State of Vermont, have invented a new and 1mproved Machine for Sowing Seed Broadcast; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of same, looking upward,mx, Fig. 1, showing the plane of section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

My invention consists in a horizontal rotating tube placed underneath the hopper and communicating with it, the tube having a valve at each end,the valve beingoperated by means of an adjustable cam, as will be presently shown, so that the grain will be sown broadcast and behind the machine.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

Arepresents the hopper, which is supported by two uprights, a a, attached to the frame B of the machine. The frame B is supported by wheels 0 O. p

D represents a vertical shaft, which passes through the center of the hopper A. The lower end of this shaftis steppedin, atb, on the frame B, as shown in Fig. 1, and the upper end of the shaft works in a cross-piece, c, on the upper part of the hopper.

The lower end of the shaft D has a bevelwheel upon it, and also a hollow arm or tube, F, the shaftpassing through the center of the arm or tube. Thearm or tube is placed above the wheel E, and a tube; d, passes from the centerot' the hopper and within a flange, e, at the center of the arm or tube. Thusit will be seen that the grain will pass from the hopper A through the tube 61 into the hollow arm or tube F.

To the inner side of one of the wheels 0 there is attached atoothed wheel,G, into which a pinion, H, gears. This pinion is attached to one end of a shaft, I,whieh has a bevel-pinion, J, on its opposite end,the pinion J gearing into the bevel-wheel E on the shaft D. The-outer bearing of the shaftI is in a lever, K, attached to one of theuprights a, which support the hopper.

To each end of the hollow arm or tube F there is pivoted a valve, L, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. These valves are kept closed by spiral springs c, which are placed around rods f, attached to the back ends of the valves, the rodsf being connected by pivots to rods g, which are pivoted to the arm or tube F. The inner ends of the rodsf have friction-rollers h attached to them.

To the under side of the hopper A there is pivoted a board or plate, M. The inner edge ofthis board or plate has a semicircular recess, i, made in it. The board or plate M has a lever, N, attached to one end.

The operation is as follows: As the machine is drawn along the hollow arm or tube F will be rotated by means of the gearing previously described, and the grain in the hopper A will pass down through the lubed into the llOllOW arm or tube F, and will be thrown by centrifugal force out of the ends of the arm or tube F. The valves L arekeptclosed by thesprings 6 while the ends of the arm or tube are passing around one half of its revolution at tie front of the machine; but as they perform the other half-revolution the friction-rollers it pass into the recess 2' in the board or plate M,which recess acts like a c rm, or, in fact, is a stationary cam, and the valves are thereby opened, and the seed or grain will be thrown outfrom the arm or tube and sown broadcast behind the machine.

The quantity of seed or grain to be sown on a given area of ground is regulated by'adjusting the board or plate M so that the valve L may be opened more or less as they pass around at the back of the machine.

Havingthus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l'he rotating horizontal arm or tube F, provided with valves L at its ends and used in connection with the adjustable board or plate M, provided with the semicircular recess 73, the above parts being constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as shown,for the purpose specified.

ENOS STIMSON.

Witnesses:

JAMES A. PADDOOK, A. A. STIMsoN. 

